You love flying kites.  If you didn’t you wouldn’t be reading this right now.  Well, this year spend your holiday doing what you love.  Instead of visiting your in-laws, put your kites and your family in the car and head for the first annual “Thanksgiving on the Dunes” kite festival.

Thanksgiving on the Dunes will precede Kitty Hawk Kites 19th annual “Hangin’ with Santa and Kites with Lights” festival, resulting in three full days of kite flying fun and camaraderie on the Outer Banks, sponsored by The Tennessee Wind Militia, Kitty Hawk Kites, American Kitefliers Association, Premier Kites and Prism Kites (so far...more to come).  All types of kites from small to large, single line to quads, flat, round and cellular are welcome and encouraged.

Over 100 years ago, the Wright brothers made the then treacherous journey to live and work in the Nags Head/Kitty Hawk area of North Carolina.  Why did they choose this location?  The answer is simple; wind, wind, and more wind.  According to their research at the time, this island had the most constant and reliable wind in the country.  Presently, the journey is much easier.  The islands are connected by bridges, and we can drive our comfortable cars from home to the Outer Banks without peril.  But some things never change, and the wind that drew the Wright brothers calls kite flyers to the dunes every day of the year, Thanksgiving included.

Starting on Thanksgiving Day we will have two designated flying fields on the sand dunes at Jockey’s Ridge State Park. Jockey's Ridge is the tallest natural sand dune in the Eastern United States, and anyone who has flown on the dunes will tell you that this is truly one of the best flying fields around.  Jockey’s Ridge provides endless amounts of open space, clean wind, and spectacular views.  From the top of the ridge, you can see the ocean to the east and the sound to the west.

Thanksgiving on the Dunes begins Thursday the 27th of November, 2008.  On the menu for this inaugural year of the festival is open flying with your friends from 10am to 5pm.  Throughout each day of the festival, Kitty Hawk Kites will be offering free stunt and power kite lessons to the public.  The first day of the festival will be topped off with a Thanksgiving dinner for the fliers in attendance.  Thanks to our sponsors, there will be door prizes and fun for all.

Flying on the dunes resumes on Friday at 10am.  I am in talks with the local YMCA trying to arrange an indoor fly early that evening to finish the second day of fun.  As of the writing of this article that has not been confirmed, so keep checking the event calendar at www.AKA.kite.org for updates.  Santa will visit the Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head from 12:30-4:30pm for free children’s photos in a hang glider.  Santa will also be present on Saturday.

On Saturday, we will fly from 10am to 4pm.  Beginning at sunset, a night fly will begin on the dunes.  We will light up our kites to participate in Kitty Hawk Kites' annual ''Kites with Lights'' event.  Kites with Lights invites all spectators to gather in front of the Kitty Hawk Kites store in Nags Head to enjoy apple cider and cookies while watching beautiful kites dance atop Jockey’s Ridge to favorite Christmas songs.

In short, this is a great place to fly and a wonderful festival to attend.  We are planning on having a really big time, and can’t wait to find out what you think about it so it can be bigger and better next year.

    I’ll see you there,

     Scott A Koenig